This award comes after 18 months of work by the park in collaboration with the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in the UK.

The news was announced on Monday 16 November 2009 that Galloway Forest Park had become the first International Dark Sky Park in the UK, and joint first in Europe, with Zselic Landscape Protection Area in Hungary being simultaneously awarded International Dark Sky Park status.

Galloway Forest Park's dark skies have been awarded the Gold Tier of Dark Sky Parks, recognising it as one of the best places in the world to observe the stars.

The announcement resulted in a great deal of media interest. To see just some of the coverage, visit these links: